We Are New Every Day: You've been remade

As warmer weather approached, I, like most of you, pulled out the boxes of children's clothes from years past and weeded through what would work for the younger ones this season. Is it too short? Is it too long? Is it too stained? My standards on that last one are very, very low, by the way. If it was stained at school, then I have no issue with sending it back to school for more staining. If it has the remnants of fudge pop down the front, I have no issue with sending it into the back yard for mud pie baking.

But too short? Well that's a huge issue for me. There are certain times I am happy to see a sweet baby belly button, but the middle of the grocery store or the local playground are not those times. Several friends have even called me prudish and I am okay with that. Remember my diatribe on little girls' shoes? (it's at the bottom)

I unearthed a pile of t-shirts for Irish Jig, many hand me downs from Jazz or other friends. All were too short in the torso. And by too short, I mean baring not only her belly button, but threatening to show other wares. The shirts shrank over time, I am sure, but she is also quite tall for her age. Or so I am told every time a stranger asks why she's not using the resting facility yet. My standard answer is that, thanks to Depends, her age for toileting is no longer a factor. She could enter college without toileting. But I digress.

While folding the too stained even for my standards shirts for the Goodwill bag, I had an epiphany. I have them often, apparently. What if I cut the already hemmed-but-yucky-stained shirts and lengthened the too-short-but-still-fit shirts? So I pulled out the rotary cutter, mixed and matched shirts and added about 3 or 4 inches to each tee shirt. I even braved the twin knit needle, my friends. I am living on the edge.